A Journey of Defiance and Unity
President General Abdourahamane Tchiani’s recent road trip across Niger’s seven regions has been hailed as a historic and unprecedented event. This 12-day journey, which saw the president traveling by road to all regions, was met with overwhelming public support, with hundreds of thousands of people lining the streets to greet him. The trip marked a significant shift from previous presidential visits, which were typically conducted by air.
“Since the 80s, no president has traveled by road to all seven regions in a single journey,” said Abdullahi Salifou, deputy secretary of the Convergence for the National Sovereignty of the Sahel (COSNAS). “The last time this happened was when Col. Seyni Kountché used to pay annual visits after harvest in this time of the year.”
This journey was not just symbolic; it was a demonstration of the government’s commitment to reaching out to the people directly. Tchiani stopped at every village along the way, meeting traditional chiefs, women’s organizations, farmers, and civil society groups like COSNAS and M62. These groups had played a key role in the demonstrations demanding the withdrawal of French troops.
Reassurance Amidst a Proxy War
Tchiani’s journey took place against the backdrop of a growing proxy war allegedly waged by France through terror groups. Niger’s partners in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), including Mali and Burkina Faso, have accused France of using these groups to destabilize former colonies. Western media, however, often portrays the situation as one where the AES states are struggling to survive after expelling French troops.
“The media reports and interviews with diplomats indicate that Tchiani is paranoid, often irrational, and rarely leaves his barricaded presidential palace,” according to a “policy brief” published by the European Council on Foreign Relations last October. Yet, Tchiani’s journey contradicts such narratives.
Confronting Terror and Reasserting Control
The Islamic State in the Sahel Province (IS Sahel) and Al-Qaeda affiliated JNIM have been active in the region, conducting attacks that have claimed many lives. Despite this, Tchiani’s journey demonstrated the state’s reassertion of control over territories once lost to these groups.
In Téra, a tri-border area known for its lawlessness, Tchiani held a public meeting. “If these terrorists had any territorial control, they would have attacked. But they couldn’t because the state has regained control,” emphasized Aboubakar Alassane of the West Africa Peoples Organization (WAPO).
Even though attacks by these groups persist, Alassane argues that their loss of territorial control and the reassertion of state power are critical advances. This was evident during Tchiani’s visit to Téra, where the state’s presence was clearly felt.
Breaking Stereotypes and Building Trust
Tchiani’s journey also involved visiting remote areas, including the far north near the Algerian border. He ventured off the road to greet nomads passing by on camels, inquiring about their animals and problems. This gesture broke long-standing stereotypes that equated Tuareg nomads with terrorism.
“The camel-back riders who raided villages to abduct people and sell them as slaves in the markets of Saudi Arabia,” explained Alassane. “When Europeans arrived, the nomads collaborated with them in the transatlantic slave trade. Armed and licensed to kill by European colonizers, they were feared even after the end of slavery.”
Tchiani’s approach challenged these perceptions, sending a political message that there is no need to fear the Tuareg community.
A Leader Among the People
On returning to Agadez, Tchiani traveled across the southern regions of Zinder and Maradi before concluding the journey in the eastern region of Diffa. Tens of thousands gathered to welcome him, showing renewed confidence in the government’s ability to protect them.
“There was never such a large gathering in Diffa before. People feared attending even a small meeting because Boko Haram would attack. But Tchiani’s presence gave them confidence,” said Alassane. “He went through crowds of people. Anyone with a gun could have killed him.”
Tchiani addressed the people, speaking about the ills of drug use and unemployment among youth. He reassured them of jobs created by the government’s construction of roads and water towers, the oil exploration work that commenced last year, and the Large Irrigation Program being piloted in Diffa.
A Struggle for Survival
Reassuring the armed forces, Tchiani stated that the insecurity currently facing the Diffa region is totally different from what is being portrayed in the media. “It has no connection with Islam. On the contrary,” he added, “it is a situation born from the desire of neo-colonial powers to continue their domination over our people.”
He reiterated this in a speech to the troops, claiming that the problem of terrorism in the region originates solely from the desire of certain neo-colonial powers to preserve their prosperity, wealth, and domination over their states.
A Hero’s Welcome
Upon concluding his road trip, Tchiani returned to Niamey by flight. Salifou and tens of thousands of other people lined up on either side of the road from Niamey airport to the Presidential Palace to give Tchiani a hero’s welcome.
“It was around 9 pm when he passed by us. As and when he passed, the people assembled along the road followed him” all the way to the Presidential Palace, Salifou recalled. “He marched with the people on foot for 12 kilometers from the airport to the Presidential Palace,” added Alassane.
“Entering the Palace carried by this human tide, General Tchiani demonstrated that his true legitimacy comes from the people,” said Abdourahamane Oumarou, president of Urgences Panafricanistes (Pan-Africanist Emergencies) in Niger.
